The Ill-Fated Love Life of Tal Celes
by Huinesoron
Summary: Crewman Tal Celes has never been very lucky in love. Now she's stuck in the Delta Quadrant, tens of thousands of light-years from home. With just 150 people onboard Voyager, she's only got a few chances to get this right... (Femslash)
1. Crush

_Disclaimer : All characters and locations are the property of Paramount, and are taken from _Star Trek: Voyager _, inspired by the work of Gene Roddenberry. All plot and dialogue in this story is my own._

 _Headnote : Tal Celes, Willian Telfer, and Mortimer Harren are crewmen of U.S.S. Voyager. First appeared in Season 6, taken on a shuttle mission by Captain Janeway to try and help them integrate better with the crew._

 **Crush**

 _Stardate 53760_

Crewman Tal Celes slumped over the mess hall table as the crew of _USS Voyager_ bustled around her. Her mug of coffee sat in front of her, slowly radiating its heat to the environment. She hadn't touched it since ordering it from the replicator ten minutes earlier.

"Tal?" Billy Telfer leant over the table. "Are you all right?"

"Yeah." Tal's voice was muffled by the tabletop. "'m fine."

A chair scraped across the floor as Billy sat down. "You look about as 'fine' as I used to. Have you seen the Doctor?"

"I'm _fine_ , Billy." Tal glanced up at her friend's concerned face. "It was a rough shift, that's all."

"Obviously." Mortimer Harren pulled out a chair and settled in place. "You work with the Borg, after all."

Tal scowled at him. "Seven of Nine is an excellent senior officer."

"I'm sure she's very, oh... efficient," Harren agreed, "but she's not exactly considerate, is she?" He waved off Billy's incredulous look. "What's the old saying? 'It takes one to know one'?"

"You're not being fair," Tal said. "Seven's not a bad person-"

Harren scoffed. "'Person'."

"Stop that!" Tal straightened up, glaring at him. "Just because she used to be a drone doesn't make her any less of a person. She may be..." She waved a hand through the air. "... strange, but she does her absolute best for this ship - and for her crew."

Billy raised a hand. "Ah, didn't she just tell the Captain you're 'inefficient' and should be transferred out of Astrometrics?" He ducked as Tal's glare swung to him. "I'm just saying."

"And what was the result of that?" Tal spread her hands out on the table. "I won't say Captain Janeway's shuttle mission was fun, but look how far we've come since then. Seven saw I was struggling, and she did her best - in her 'efficient' way - to help me work through it."

Harren opened his mouth, but Billy got there first. He leant across the table, peering into Tal's eyes. "You're kidding. Tal, have you got a _crush_ on her?"

Tal's face flushed, and she pushed back in her chair. "No! I just don't think she deserves all the things people say about her. She's actually really lovely, in her own way..."

"You _have_!" Billy grinned at her. "You've fallen head over heels for Seven of Nine!"

Tal winced, glancing around at the other crew members in the mess hall. "Keep it down, will you?" she hissed. "And what if I have?"

"You're wasting your time," Harren remarked. "She's Borg."

"That doesn't mean she doesn't have feelings," Tal retorted. "You-"

Harren cut over her. "That's not what I meant. She's _Borg_. All those lovely curves you're thinking about are just armour plating under her uniform."

Tal gaped at him. "You... that's not even true!"

"How would you know?" Harren arched an eyebrow at her. "Are you saying you _do_ know?"

"Well, I- no, but-" Tal shook her head sharply. "Seven is a wonderful person, and I won't listen to this conversation any further," she declared. "Just because you can't cope with the idea that she's different to the rest of us, or that she had a... a difficult life before she joined us, or that it's actually possible to feel affection for someone without it automatically being about sex-!"

Billy coughed. "Ah, Tal? You're shouting..."

The blood drained from Tal's face. She looked around to find that the room had fallen silent, everyone (or so it seemed) staring at her. Across the mess hall, helmsman Tom Paris turned to operations officer Harry Kim and made a low comment.

Tal Celes pushed up to her feet. She grabbed her coffee mug, scattering a few drops over the table. Then, without saying another word, she hurried out of the room.

* * *

 _Tal, Billy, and Harren first appeared in 'Good Shepherd', during which Captain Janeway coaxed Tal out of her low self-esteem, accidentally cured Billy of hypochondria, and persuaded Harren that at least pretending to socialise was a good idea. This chapter, obviously, takes place after that mission._

 _Billy and Harren were never seen again; Tal had only a single later appearance (actually set earlier), during which she was accused of messing up a diagnostic, and later attacked Harry Kim, believing him to be an alien intruder._

 _So why am I using Tal for this story? Because she's an interesting character. Because my wife 'ships her with Seven. Because she can be seen checking Janeway out in her first episode. And because I feel that someone who looks at Harry Kim's shadow and thinks 'the ship has been taken over by Borg!' needs a bit more time in the spotlight._

 _She also turns out to be one of the few minor characters with her own filter on FFn; there are 23 previous Tal Celes stories here. Let's make that 24._

 _Oh, and yeah, apparently 'crewman' is a gender-neutral term in Star Trek. Apparently._

 _Timeline: as the chapters aren't in chronological order, I thought it best to provide a timeline. The current chapter is in_ _ **BOLD CAPITALS**_ _; previous chapters are_ _underlined_ _._

Commission - Consider - Charming - Construction - Caught - Casual - Cultural - **CRUSH** \- Calming - Curse - Committed


	2. Casual

_Disclaimer_ _: All characters and locations are the property of Paramount, and are taken from_ Star Trek: Voyager _, inspired by the work of Gene Roddenberry. All plot and dialogue in this story is my own._

 _Headnote : Marla Gilmore was an ensign from the USS Equinox. She first appeared in Season 6, when the Equinox crew encountered Voyager in the Delta Quadrant._

 **Casual**

 _Stardate 53010_

"Um. Excuse me."

The woman kneeling in front of the open panel held up a hand. "Just a moment, please." She clipped a replacement unit in place, then drew back and fixed the panel back to the wall. "There. Can I help you?"

"Um." Tal shifted from foot to foot, hands clasped behind her back. "I was just wondering if, um..."

Marla Gilmore pushed her long hair back from her face, frowning slightly. "Yes?"

"... do you play Velocity?" Tal blurted out. "Only I'm going down to Holodeck Two to play if there's anyone to go with, and, well..."

Marla gave her a long, calculating look. Then she nodded slightly. "I get off shift in half an hour," she said. "Holodeck Two is on Deck... Six, right?"

"Right," Tal said, smiling at her and trying not to panic. "I'll see you there, then?"

 _Zzzap_.

"You were right," Marla said, over the pulsing of the phasers. "This _is_ relaxing, in an odd way. It's been a long time since I've had access to a holodeck."

"It must have been awful." Tal jumped to angle her next shot, fumbled the landing, barely got up on one knee in time to fend off the disk. "All those years on a dying-"

"Stop." Marla caught the disk on its edge, sent it curling across the holodeck to catch Tal's arm. "I don't want to think about it. Six-three."

"Right. Sorry." Tal got to her feet, tossing the phaser back to her right hand. "Again?"

"Computer: next round." The disk returned to the centre of the room, and Tal set it moving with a shot from her phaser.

Marla sighted carefully and bounced it back. "It's not easy," she said, ducking as the disk looped round Tal and returned. "I was Chief Engineer, and now I'm not even..." She glanced at Tal, shook her head jerkily. "But what good are an officer's pips if you don't live up to them?"

"You did, in the end," Tal said, dancing around the disk and slingshotting it back. "You're here. You're still in the uniform. The Captain thinks-"

"Captain Janeway." Marla dodged the disk, caught it on its rim again. "I don't understand her. How-?" She grunted as Tal's shot caught the disk and flicked it straight back at her. "Six-four. Again?"

"In a minute."

Tal pushed her hair back from her face, and her eyes caught Marla's as the other woman mirrored her movement. Marla smiled at her, and then the warmth seemed to drain away.

"I don't understand _any_ of you," the former _Equinox_ officer said quietly. "Why are you all being so... nice?"

Tal considered that. "Because we're all stuck here," she said. "Because... because we know that it could have been us. We've all seen... but you said you didn't want to talk about it."

"Yes." Marla stared down at the phaser in her hand, not seeming to actually see it. "I did."

Tal took a step towards her, holding out a hand. "Listen... do you want to switch the program to Sandríne's? We could get a drink, have a proper talk..."

Marla glanced up and shook her head slowly. "No. Thank you, but... no. I don't think I can... I'm not ready for that. Not yet." She looked around, found the disk lying on the floor. "Again?"

"Sure. Computer: next round."

* * *

 _Marla Gilmore was one of the crew of the USS Equinox, the 'evil Voyager' encountered by Voyager. By the end of the story, she was on Voyager and stripped of rank._

 _Velocity is a hologame that is described by Memory Alpha as 'a cross between handball and a phaser range'. From what we've seen, you have to knock the flying disk into your opponent by shooting it._

 _Chez Sandríne is the original holographic bar on Voyager. It was created by Tom Paris._

Commission - Consider - Charming - Construction - Caught - **CASUAL** \- Cultural - Crush \- Calming - Curse - Committed


	3. Cultural

__Disclaimer__ _ _: All characters and locations are the property of Paramount, and are taken from__ Star Trek: Voyager _ _, inspired by the work of Gene Roddenberry. All plot and dialogue in this story is my own.__

 _Headnote : Ensign Jenkins is a junior conn officer on Voyager. She was first seen in Season 5, as part of Harry Kim's night shift which encountered a rogue sentient missile._

 **Cultural**

 _Stardate 53520_

The birds were singing in the trees, insects were buzzing in the grass, and the sun shone warm on the hillside. Tal Celes lay back on the soft ground, letting the heat soak into her skin.

A shadow fell over her. "It's a very nice hill," a woman's voice said, "but I don't think this is what Ensign Paris had in mind when he designed the place."

Tal shielded her eyes, squinting up at the blonde woman. Like Tal, she was wearing replicated costume appropriate to the Fair Haven scenario, and the long dress managed to hug her curves quite pleasingly, despite the purported 'modesty' of the design.

She realised abruptly that she was staring. "I'm not sure what you mean," she said, sitting up. "Are you saying it's corrupted?"

"No, not that." The other woman sat down next to her, tugging her skirts back into order. "Ensign Rose Jenkins, conn."

"Crewman Tal Celes," Tal introduced herself. "I'm in Astrometrics." She smoothed her own dark green skirts and tucked her hair back, wishing she had a mirror to make sure she looked okay. Then she frowned. "How is it we haven't met before?" she wondered. "It's not like _Voyager_ is a big ship, I'm sure I would have noticed you."

"'Where have you been all my life?'," Ensign Jenkins suggested, but laughed it off. "I'm usually stuck on the night shift," she said. "And you know how different departments don't mix."

"Ah. Yes." Tal glanced away, hoping the blonde woman hadn't noticed her cheeks reddening. "What did you mean, then? About the program."

"Not the program," Jenkins corrected. "Fair Haven is working fine - it's a wonderful place to get together, meet the locals, join in with the community." She glanced down at the town below, then looked back at Tal. "And yet, here you are, sitting on a grassy bank, watching the flowers grow."

"Can you blame me?" Tal meant for the words to come out defensive, but somehow they didn't. "Look at this place; it's beautiful. Back home..." She shook her head slightly, reached down to pluck a flower. "Bajor looked like this once," she said, studying the intricate blue petals, "before the Cardassians came with their poisons, their mines." She held out the small plant to Jenkins. "With all the beauty in just a single petal, how could I _not_ spend time here?"

The blonde took the flower, her fingers warm where they brushed against Tal's. "There's certainly beauty on the hillside," she said, tucking the flower behind her ear. It matched her dress almost exactly, Tal noticed. "But down in town there's company, conversation..." She chuckled, smiling lopsidedly. "And, given it was Tom Paris who built the place, more than the usual quota of romance."

"Yes, well." Tal ran her hands over her skirt again, not looking at Jenkins. "I can't help but feel his design parameters were rather... limited."

"Ah." Jenkins looked down at herself, then across at the village. "I've noticed... something of the sort myself," she admitted. "Ensign Paris had a very clear vision of Fair Haven, didn't he?"

Tal thought about the holographic townsfolk below - the beautiful Irish women all out looking for a man to call their own, the charmingly old-fashioned codes and customs they followed in every aspect of their lives. "Yes," she said, "you could say that."

"Yes." Rose Jenkins lapsed into silence, staring down at Fair Haven. The sun seemed to shine straight through her blonde hair, setting it glowing from within. Her lips were parted slightly, touched with a hint of a smile. Her hand lay loosely on her thigh, plucking at the pale blue cloth of her dress.

Then she moved, getting to her feet, and turned to look down at Tal. "There's no use sitting here moping about it, though," she said, holding out a hand. "What do you say we stroll down to Sullivan's and get a drink? It's always nice to meet new people, after all."

Tal stared at the other woman's slim hand, lit by the golden light of the sun. Then she looked further up, met Rose's eyes, and smiled. "Sure," she said, taking the offered hand. "That sounds lovely."

* * *

 _I'm not saying categorically that Ensign Jenkins is the same person as the child Rose from TNG, played by the same actress. But I'm not denying it, either._

 _Given the nature and creator of the Fair Haven program, it seems unlikely - to say that least - that Tom would have allowed for lesbian crew members who might want to flirt with the locals._

Commission - Consider - Charming - Construction - Caught - Casual \- **CULTURAL** \- Crush \- Calming - Curse - Committed


	4. Caught

__Disclaimer__ _ _: All characters and locations are the property of Paramount, and are taken from__ Star Trek: Voyager _ _, inspired by the work of Gene Roddenberry. All plot and dialogue in this story is my own.__

 _Headnote : Seven of Nine is Voyager's head of Astrometrics. First encountered in Season 4 as a Borg drone who was later liberated and joined the crew._

 **Caught**

 _Stardate 52650_

Tal was still fastening her uniform jacket as she hurried into Astrometrics. She kept her head down, hoping that the low lighting would hide her hastily-brushed hair and general dishevelled state.

"Crewman Celes." Seven of Nine glanced over from the main console. "You are prompt. Good. Review the logs from the aft sensors; I believe there is a fault in the array."

Tal nodded and crossed to her workstation, bending over the screen as she pulled up the relevant data. Seven had flagged several time-segments for analysis; assuming she didn't make any mistakes, it should take her a couple of hours to-

"Your face is flushed and your heartrate is elevated," Seven said from behind her. "Do you require medical attention?"

Tal closed her eyes for a moment, wishing she'd risked being late instead of hurrying down to the lab. "No, ma'am," she said, not looking round. "I'm fine, ma'am."

"Good." There was a long pause - the kind, Tal realised with growing horror, that meant Seven was about to try small talk. Ever since she'd started taking lessons with the Doctor, the crew in Astrometrics had been intermittently subjected to these conversations. They were always cringeworthy, but this seemed likely to be especially bad...

"Your symptoms can be due to other causes than illness," Seven said at last. "The two most common are physical exercise and sexual activity. Which one have you been engaging in?"

Tal's head thumped against the top of her workstation. "Uh, ma'am, I... um..." She ran a hand through her hair, wincing as she found the sore spot. "I don't think... um..."

"From your embarrassment, I conclude that it is the latter." Tal risked a glance over her shoulder to find Seven watching her contemplatively. "I have been studying crew interactions in the mess hall," the ex-Borg went on. "I believe it is appropriate for me to insist you 'tell me everything'. You may commence by identifying the male involved."

This time, the impact between Tal's head and the console was entirely deliberate. "There isn't- I mean, I wasn't..."

"A female, then." Seven's voice remained entirely level. "I have heard of this phenomenon. State her designation."

Tal swallowed hard. "There's no-one, ma'am," she managed.

"I see." Another pause. Tal dared to hope that her superior had lost interest, but no such luck. "I am not certain whether it is appropriate to enquire about solo sexual activity-"

Tal yelped as she cracked her head on the console again. "No," she gasped, "that wouldn't be appropriate. Ma'am."

"Ah." Seven tilted her head, considering this. "Sexuality is a complex concept, but it seems to be popular amongst the crew. The Doctor has been instructing me in courtship rituals, so if you require assistance-"

"No, ma'am," Tal interrupted, stamping down firmly on the images forming in her head. "I need to analyse these logs, ma'am."

Another pause, and then Seven turned back to her console. "Very well," she said, pulling up a visualisation of _Voyager'_ s course. "Continue."

* * *

 _Well,_ you _try figuring out the rules of casual conversation by watching a crew that includes the likes of Tom Paris._

 _Seven's habit of figuring things out by observing the crew got her into trouble with B'Elanna at one point. Her habit of thinking like a Borg got her into trouble a lot more than once._

Commission - Consider - Charming - Construction - **CAUGHT** \- Casual \- Cultural \- Crush \- Calming - Curse - Committed


	5. Charming

__Disclaimer__ _ _: All characters and locations are the property of Paramount, and are taken from__ Star Trek: Voyager _ _, inspired by the work of Gene Roddenberry. All plot and dialogue in this story is my own.__

 _Headnote : Ensign Ahni Jetal is a shuttle pilot on Voyager. First seen in Season 5, she was killed in an attack while on an away mission with Harry Kim and the Doctor._

 **Charming**

 _Stardate 50742_

Tal paused in the doorway, fiddling with her jacket's fastenings. "So, um... would you like to get dinner tonight?"

Over on the bed, Ahni Jetal watched her in the gloom. "I'm on duty in the shuttlebay tonight," she said.

Tal nodded quickly. "Right, you said. Tomorrow, maybe?"

"Tal..." Ahni sat up, the blankets falling from her nude body. "I don't think this is working."

Tal blinked, glancing back at her. "Perhaps next week, then?"

"I don't mean the dinner plans." Ahni sighed. "Tal, _we're_ not working."

Tal bit her lip, slumping slightly where she stood. "I thought it was... _we_ were... very good."

"I'm not arguing with that." Ahni ran her fingers through her hair, pushing it back from her face. "But... you're too young, Tal."

Tal's head flicked back up. "I'm not _that_ much younger than you."

"But you are." Ahni pushed off the bed and walked naked across the room to press her hand over Tal's heart. "In here, you are."

Tal squeezed her eyes shut, trying not to look at the woman who was now rejecting her. "I don't..."

Ahni wrapped her arms around her, her body warm through Tal's uniform. "You're a wonderful person, Tal," she said, her breath brushing across her cheek. "Maybe in a few years, if we're out here that long..."

Tal leant into the hug, giving in for just one second, two... then she straightened up, nodded slightly. "Right," she said. "If you'll excuse me, Ensign, I have to report to the Astrometrics lab."

Ahni sighed softly and pressed a kiss to Tal's cheek, to the ridges of her nose, and finally to her lips. "Of course," she said, squeezing once and then stepping back. "Have a good shift."

* * *

 _Hirilnara: Still here after all these years? Good to hear from you!_

 _Doc Yewll: I'm glad you're enjoying it!_

 _Ahni is a charming shuttle pilot only seen in flashback; her death led to the Doctor running into an ethical loop in his programming. Her brief relationship with Tal is set several months before that._

Commission - Consider - **CHARMING** \- Construction - Caught \- Casual \- Cultural \- Crush \- Calming - Curse - Committed


	6. Calming

_Disclaimer_ _: All characters and locations are the property of Paramount, and are taken from_ Star Trek: Voyager _, inspired by the work of Gene Roddenberry. All plot and dialogue in this story is my own._

 **Calming**

 _Stardate 53766_

The door chimed, and Tal looked up from her PADD with a sigh. She didn't particularly want to see anyone, not after last week, but it wasn't like _Voyager_ 's crew visited each other's quarters on a whim. If someone was here, there was a good chance it was important, so... "Enter."

The door hissed open. For once, it wasn't Billy or Harren outside, come to hassle her into pretending nothing had happened, but nor was it one of the senior staff. Instead, Rose Jenkins stood there, looking like she more than half wanted to run away.

"Hi," Rose said, giving a little wave. "Can I come in?"

"Um." Tal glanced around her quarters. They weren't academy levels of tidy, but they weren't in too bad a state. "Sure. Computer, raise lighting."

Too late, she remembered that she had discarded her uniform to read, keeping only her sleeveless undershirt - hardly an outfit for accepting visitors. But the rest was neatly folded away, out of reach...

The door closed behind Rose. The other woman looked nervous, hovering just inside. "So, I... uh..."

Tal put the PADD down on the bed beside her and studied her visitor. She had obviously just come from a shift in the shuttlebay; her jacket was spotted with streaks of oils in various colours, and her fair hair was mussed on one side. The slight dishevelment was more attractive than a bland, perfect uniform, Tal thought; it showed her as someone with personality, who-

-was talking, Tal realised with a jolt. "... thought you could use a friendly ear, basically," Rose concluded. "All things considered."

"Ah." Tal tried frantically to reconstruct the conversation she'd missed. "Um. Thanks?"

Rose chewed on her lip. "I hope so," she said. "So... Ensign Paris thinks your friends propositioned you, and Pablo thinks _Seven of Nine_ propositioned you... but neither of those sound right to me."

Her tone made it a question, but Tal couldn't bring herself to speak. She liked Rose - _really_ liked her, if she was being honest - and admitting what Billy and Harren had really been teasing her about felt too much like... she balked at the word 'unfaithful', shook her head slightly.

"That's what I thought." Rose watched her from across the small room. "If I had to guess," she said, "and remembering I wasn't there... have you gone and fallen in love with your superior officer?"

Tal flinched back, almost losing her balance. "No! It's not like that." She squeezed her eyes shut, nails digging into the bed. "It's not," she said again. "It's just..."

"A little crush on your boss?" Rose offered gently. "Oh, sweetheart, it's not like you're the only one."

Tal's eyes snapped open. "You," she said in a strangled voice, "... Tom _Paris_?"

Rose barked out a laugh. "I meant _your_ boss, Tal. The first time I saw her in one of those jumpsuits she wears..." She shivered, running her hands down her own chest. "Well. She's quite something, isn't she?"

Tal glanced down at herself; her breasts barely made a ripple in her undershirt. And Rose's uniform flattened her right out... "Looks aren't everything," she offered, her mouth dry.

Rose looked at her with that same considered gaze. "No," she agreed. "But when a woman's clothes show off her... looks, they can be hard to ignore."

Tal licked her lips. One arm snuck up to wrap across her chest in a concealing half-hug. "But personality counts more," she said, trying to keep her voice steady. "Seven wouldn't come down here to see if I need to talk, for... for instance."

Rose's breath seemed to catch before she answered. "And I wouldn't come down for her." She took a step, hesitated, then crossed the rest of the distance and knelt down by the bed. "Tal," she said, looking up at her, "we stopped talking about Seven a while back, didn't we?"

Tal whimpered softly. "But I don't have her... her looks," she said, glancing away. "And I'm not smart, and I'm not brave, and-"

"Shh." Rose's finger pressed over Tal's lips, silencing her instantly. "You're thoughtful," she said, her eyes gazing up into Tal's. "You're considerate. You're _interested_ , and interesting, and..." She took a deep breath, gripped Tal's wrist gently, and nudged her arm away from her chest. "And you look very good to me," she breathed.

Tal blinked rapidly, staring down at Rose. "Are... are you sure?" she whispered.

Rose's hand trembled, and then she brought it down to cup Tal's breast through her clothes. "Yes," she said firmly, meeting her eyes again. "Are you?"

Hardly daring to breathe, Tal wrapped her arm around Rose's shoulders, drew her up, and let her kisses do the talking.

* * *

 _Ensign Pablo Baytart is one of Voyager's relief conn officers. Apparently they have quite a lot of them, who seem to double up as shuttle pilots; why, then, do all shuttle missions end up being flown by senior bridge crew?_

 _The sleeveless undershirt is best remembered for Janeway running around in one with a rifle, and for B'Elanna Torres' fondness for them as nightwear._

Commission - Consider - Charming \- Construction - Caught \- Casual \- Cultural \- Crush \- **CALMING** \- Curse - Committed


	7. Construction

_Disclaimer_ _: All characters and locations are the property of Paramount, and are taken from_ Star Trek: Voyager _, inspired by the work of Gene Roddenberry. All plot and dialogue in this story is my own._

 **Construction**

 _Stardate 51210_

"There we are... well, it looks like your dose of radiation poisoning is all cleared up. You're clear to return to duty."

Tal smiled at the Doctor. "Thank you."

"Don't thank me yet." The EMH replaced his tricorder on the desk and turned to the monitor. "Commander Chakotay is of the opinion that, with your condition being self-inflicted, you should be sent back on duty-"

Tal's combadge chimed, and she tapped it. "Crewman Celes," said an unfamiliar voice. "Your presence is required in Astrometrics."

"-immediately," the Doctor concluded. "You'd best get moving; she's probably timing you."

* * *

The woman waiting in the half-built Astrometrics lab was tall and slim; her whole appearance, from her pulled-back hair to her skintight jumpsuit, spoke of efficiency. Her head was cocked slightly to the side, and the arch of metal over one eye gave her neutral expression a distinctly wry look.

"You are late," said Seven of Nine, without preamble. "Your designation is Tal Celes, correct?"

"Um, yes." Tal felt pinned by the former Borg's analytical gaze. She squirmed slightly, her gaze flicking over the other woman's body. "Sorry, ma'am."

"Apologies are irrelevant." Seven gave her another long, probing look, one that seemed to reach into her and draw out her secrets. "You seem uncomfortable," she said at last. "Do you... object to my presence on this ship?"

"No!" Tal blinked rapidly, surprised by the vehemence of her reaction. "Not at all, ma'am. I..." She cast about for an explanation that wasn't _I was busy checking you out_. "I just came from Sick Bay."

"Yes." Again that cool gaze swept over her. "The Doctor informed me that you were fit for duty."

"I am!" Tal swallowed. "Um, ma'am. Just tell me what you need me to do."

A pause. A slight head tilt. "... very well. You will commence by calibrating the terminal in station two. When that is accomplished, you will..."

* * *

 _Astrometrics was always on the ship, but was completely redesigned by Seven after her arrival. EDIT: According to Season 7 episode 'Shattered', this actually isn't true. I've fixed the relevant line._

 _And in case it's not obvious yet: Tal clearly finds being dispassionately examined a turn-on. Ours not to reason why!_

Commission - Consider - Charming \- **CONSTRUCTION** \- Caught \- Casual \- Cultural \- Crush \- Calming \- Curse - Committed


	8. Consider

__Disclaimer__ _ _: All characters and locations are the property of Paramount, and are taken from__ Star Trek: Voyager _ _, inspired by the work of Gene Roddenberry. All plot and dialogue in this story is my own.__

 _Headnote : Mariah Henley is a former Maquis crewman on Voyager. First seen in Season 1, she was part of a group put through basic training by Tuvok._

 **Consider**

 _Stardate 49250_

Tal sat in bed, covers pulled up to her neck, and studied the woman lying beside her. Mariah Henley lay on her side, curled away from Tal, her back a smooth curve on the bed. She was beautiful, Tal considered, but-

And there it was again. It seemed like every time she thought about Mariah, there was a _but_ lurking in the background. Mariah was certainly beautiful, and enthusiastic in bed, _but_ immediately afterwards she had rolled over and gone to sleep.

That wasn't the only problem, either. She was charming and witty, but her jokes tended to be at the expense of others - particularly Starfleet crew. Mariah had integrated with _Voyager_ 's crew better than some of the other Maquis, but in the mess hall she still preferred to sit with her former shipmates, even if Tal was around.

Then there was Seska. Tal had no problems trusting the rest of the Maquis - Seska was as much a traitor to them as to the Starfleet crew, if not more so - but that didn't entirely go both ways. Even without the general low-level Maquis dislike for Starfleet, there were some among them who looked down on Bajorans who hadn't joined their rebellion - and others who distrusted everyone from Bajor in the aftermath of Seska's treason. She didn't think Mariah was one of them, but her friends...

'But', yet again. Tal sighed, reaching out to brush her fingers over Mariah's back. The other woman shifted, curling away from her a little bit more, and Tal drew her hand back. Mariah was beautiful. They had fun together. She enjoyed spending time with her. But the more she thought about it, the more convinced she was that this relationship wasn't going to last.

* * *

 _Mariah Henley was one of the Maquis crewmen picked by Tuvok to go through his accelerated basic training course. She ended up integrating better with the Starfleet crew, but that doesn't mean everything went smoothly from there on out._

 _Seska, of course, was the Cardassian infiltrator disguised as a Bajoran who later betrayed_ Voyager _to the Kazon._

 _And yeah. Some relationships just don't work._

Commission - **CONSIDER** \- Charming \- Construction \- Caught \- Casual \- Cultural \- Crush \- Calming \- Curse - Committed


	9. Curse

_Disclaimer_ _: All characters and locations are the property of Paramount, and are taken from_ Star Trek: Voyager _, inspired by the work of Gene Roddenberry. All plot and dialogue in this story is my own._

 **Curse**

 _Stardate 54240_

"Rose?"

"Mmm?"

"Do you think it's possible for someone to be... cursed?"

Rose Jenkins rolled up onto one elbow and looked down at the woman next to her. "I know it's been a rough week or two," she said, "but the Captain's sorted out all the problems we've faced. We-"

Tal Celes shook her head. "I don't mean that," she said. "I mean... no, it's silly."

Rose frowned and prodded her gently in the ribs. "You can't do that; you have to tell me now."

Tal sighed and reached down to pat the other woman's hand. "It just feels like everyone I've had a thing for has come to... a bad end, you know?"

Rose arched an eyebrow and pinched her own arm. "Ow. I don't seem to be a hologram, so you're obviously wrong."

Tal smiled faintly. "It's you I'm worried about," she said. "If I _am_ cursed, then this," she waved a hand vaguely over the rumpled bedding, "has probably sealed your fate."

Rose chuckled and squeezed her shoulder. "I'm sure you're not 'cursed'," she said. "But if it'll make you feel better, we can go through your list and prove it."

Tal tilted her head, pressing her cheek briefly to Rose's hand. "That sounds... fairly embarrassing, I have to say."

"Hey, you brought it up." Rose's hand stroked across her cool skin, wandering vaguely downwards. "And, you know, there's only a hundred and fifty people on the ship; I've probably crushed on most of the same women as you."

Tal still looked dubious, but Rose's slow caress did its job, drawing her out. "Well," she said slowly, "remember Ensign Jurot?"

"The Betazoid?" Rose's brow furrowed slightly. "She _was_ kind of cute, wasn't she?" Her hand continued its movement, stroking in broad circles. "What happened to her was tragic, but you can't really call it a curse on you."

"No?" Tal shifted on the bed, turning slightly towards her. "What about Lieutenant Stadi?"

Rose nearly choked. " _Stadi_? Oh, sweetheart, I thought you had better taste."

Tal stiffened and pulled away. "What's _that_ supposed to mean?"

"Veronica Stadi was my superior officer when we launched," Rose reminded her. "She was a terror - always coming after us for the least mistake."

Tal's cheeks flushed red. "She seemed nice to _me_ ," she said. "We had lunch together once, before she... oh, I knew this was a bad idea."

Rose reached out and caught her before she could slip out of bed. Draping one arm across her, the blonde ensign kissed her tenderly on the cheeks, soothing away the blush. "Don't be like that," she murmured, her fingers stroking across Tal's bare stomach. "I'm sorry I laughed. You can have feelings for whoever you like."

Tal shook her head again, her body taut. "I should never have brought it up," she said. "It was stupi-"

Rose leant in and cut the word off with a kiss. "Shh," she whispered. "None of that."

Tal squeezed her eyes shut, fingers digging into the bedsheets. "But it is."

Rose sighed and flopped back down beside her. "Marie Kaplan," she said.

Tal blinked. "What?"

"She was one of the shuttle pilots," Rose explained. "I had the hugest crush imaginable on her. It never went anywhere - I don't think she was even into women - but I was devastated when she died. The Doctor ended up signing me off for a week on medical grounds."

Tal glanced across at the other woman. "I don't know what you're trying to say."

"Don't you?" Rose pushed up onto her elbow, hooking one leg across Tal's thighs. "I'm saying that we're trapped in the Delta Quadrant, tens of thousands of light years from home. I'm saying that it's a dangerous universe out there." She pressed her hand flat on Tal's cheek, stroked deliberately downwards. "I'm saying that bad things happen to good people, and if you're 'cursed', then so is everyone on this ship." Abruptly, she caught hold of Tal's shoulder, and rolled to pull her on top of her. "I'm saying," she finished, her breath warm on Tal's lips, "that it's time to enjoy what we have, rather than lamenting what we've lost."

"Ah." Tal Celes looked down at Rose Jenkins as the other woman's arms enfolded her. She kissed her gently on the lips, considered for a moment, then repeated the kiss more deeply. "Yes."

* * *

 _Lieutenant Stadi was Voyager's original conn officer. She was seen in the pilot, flying Tom Paris to the ship, and then dying when they got taken to the Delta Quadrant. Some of the licensed media gives her the first name Veronica, and claims she survived, but that's not really believable from what's shown; furthermore, see below._

 _Ensign Jurot, like Lieutenant Stadi, was a Betazoid; she's seen only once, going into hiding when Voyager encounters a race of telepath-haters. Given that Janeway laments in a later episode that she doesn't have a Betazoid available, she and Stadi both have to be dead._

 _Marie Kaplan is one of those Voyager characters who is introduced and built up over a few episodes for the sole purpose of then dying. It's a good way to avoid the Redshirt problem. In her case, she was shot by some ex-Borg in order to trap Chakotay on a planet._

Commission - Consider \- Charming \- Construction \- Caught \- Casual \- Cultural \- Crush \- Calming \- **CURSE** \- Committed


	10. Commission

_Disclaimer_ _: All characters and locations are the property of Paramount, and are taken from_ Star Trek: Voyager _, inspired by the work of Gene Roddenberry. All plot and dialogue in this story is my own._

 _Headnote : Lieutenant Stadi was Voyager's first Conn officer. First seen in Season 1, she died in the transition to the Delta Quadrant._

 **Commission**

 _Stardate 48314_

"Crewman Celes, isn't it?"

Tal Celes looked up into the twin pips of a Starfleet Lieutenant. "Um, yes, ma'am!" She jumped to her feet, trying to come to attention as she had been taught at the academy, but somehow ended up on the floor with her legs tangled around the barstool.

The officer held out a hand to help her up. "I'm sorry about that," she said, kneeling to right the stool. "I know what it's like to have a senior officer appear out of nowhere."

"Sorry, ma'am." Tal drew herself back to attention, trying to regain at least a little of her dignity. "Crewman Tal Celes, reporting for duty, ma'am."

"Not yet, you aren't." The officer's cheeks dimpled when she smiled, Tal noticed. "Save the formality for when we get aboard ship."

"Yes, ma'am." Tal allowed herself to relax - just a little. "So you're shipping out on _Voyager_ as well, ma'am?"

"Enough 'ma'am' already," the officer said. "'Lieutenant' will do fine, or 'Lieutenant Stadi' if you need to."

"Yes, ma- um, Lieutenant." Her skin was darker than most Bajorans, Tal couldn't help noticing, which lent her an alluring, exotic cast. It seemed to extend to her eyes, too, with pure black irises that were likely to suck Tal in if she looked for too long. "You're the Conn Officer, right, Lieutenant?"

"That's correct." Stadi tugged out a stool and sat down next to her. "And since you're in Astrometrics, that makes me your superior officer."

"Yes, ma'am." Tal ducked her head, remembering belatedly what those black eyes implied: Stadi was a Betazoid, Betazoids were mind-readers, and with the thoughts she'd allowed to run free... "Sorry, ma'am."

"Don't worry about it." Stadi flagged down the Ferengi bartender for a drink, then leant back slightly. "But believe it or not, I'm not here to intimidate you with my lofty stature."

"No, Lieutenant?" Tal glanced at her own drink, abandoned the moment Stadi had first spoken. "What, um...?"

Stadi chuckled, and the warmth of the sound rippled through Tal's body. "We won't be leaving dock for another ten days," she explained. "I thought I would take the time to get to know some of my crew. And I have a special interest in _you_ , Crewman Celes."

Tal's eyes widened. "M-me?"

Stadi patted her arm, and the hair on the back of Tal's neck stood on end. "It's nothing bad, I assure you," the lieutenant said. "I have a day's leave coming up, and I've never visited Bajor before. As a local, I thought I might pick your brains about anything I ought to make sure to see."

Shoving aside both nervousness about a Betazoid 'picking her brains', and irritation about being just 'a local', Tal sat up straight on her stool. "Anything I can do to help, ma- Lieutenant."

"I told you," Stadi said, smiling again, "this isn't formal. Why don't we find a table, get something to eat, and then... chat?"

Tal blinked rapidly. Dinner? _Chat_? Surely the lieutenant had to be aware of how much that sounded like a date. There were more rules than Tal could count about that sort of thing... but on the other hand, _Voyager_ 's mission was only supposed to be a short one, and after that...

She realised she was staring at the officer. Pulling herself together, Tal nodded slightly. "Of course, Lieutenant," she said. "That sounds... nice."

"I'm glad to hear it." Lieutenant Stadi turned away, beckoning to one of the waiters, and Tal allowed herself a bemused smile. If things went on this way, maybe this deployment would be more enjoyable than she'd thought...

* * *

 _And thus we see the hinted at dinner with Veronica Stadi. I've assumed here that Astrometrics normally comes under the Conn Officer's remit - Astrometrics is about navigation, which is the Conn's responsibility. Obviously once Seven shows up Voyager does things differently, but that's Voyager for you._

 _The night before posting this chapter, my_ Voyager _watching finally reached the season 7 episode 'Shattered'. The episode reveals that there was no Astrometrics lab on_ Voyager _before Seven had one built; I've corrected the mention in Chapter 7, but am assuming the department still existed. Amusingly, 'Shattered' also has a near-miss cameo from Lieutenant Stadi - an encounter with Janeway from before the ship was taken to the Delta Quadrant includes a mention that her Conn Officer vanished while walking down a corridor. Poor Stadi!_

 _And yes, this is a certain Ferengi-run bar on Deep Space Nine. Hi, Quark cameo!_

 **COMMISSION** \- Consider \- Charming \- Construction \- Caught \- Casual \- Cultural \- Crush \- Calming \- Curse \- Committed


	11. Committed

_Disclaimer_ _: All characters and locations are the property of Paramount, and are taken from_ Star Trek: Voyager _, inspired by the work of Gene Roddenberry. All plot and dialogue in this story is my own._

 **Committed**

 _Stardate 54979_

The sun still shone over Fair Haven, with only a few wisps of cloud staining the azure sky. The green grass of the hillside was studded with small blue flowers, a tapestried carpet beneath the feet of the assembled crew of _USS Voyager_.

"Tal, the way you see the world delights me; the way you think about it fills me with wonder. When the universe is kind, I will be there to marvel at it alongside you; when it is cruel, I will be there to help you through it."

The Captain had planned to hold the ceremony in the mess hall, but Tal had mustered the courage to insist on one last visit to Fair Haven. Then the Doctor had wanted it to take place in the village church, but Janeway herself had overruled him: "This isn't about you, or me. Let them have their choice."

"Rose, you once said to me that it's best to enjoy what we have, rather than longing for what we don't. I no longer have to make that choice. Whether we're travelling the stars or sitting on a grassy bank, from here on out I want nothing more than to do it at your side."

The crew crowded silent around them under the holographic sun, but Tal didn't see them. Captain Janeway stood waiting, her collar studs glinting incongruously on her Irish-style dress, but Tal didn't see her. Rose wore a stunning gown of sky-blue that blended with the flowers on the grass, but Tal didn't see it. All she saw was Rose's eyes, sparkling in the sunlight, gazing into hers.

"Ensign Rose Jenkins. Crewman Tal Celes. With the power vested in me by Starfleet Command and the United Federation of Planets, I now pronounce you joined together in marriage." Janeway smiled as she looked from Rose to Tal. "This is where you kiss."

Tal reached out and took Rose's hands, ignoring the ripple of laughter. She drew her in, ignoring the rustle of cloth over the grass. And they kissed.

* * *

 _The wedding takes place about a week after_ Voyager _returns to the Alpha Quadrant, and is modelled on the one seen in 'Course: Oblivion'._

 _The Doctor, by the way, played the local priest in the Fair Haven holoprogram, hence his desire to use the church._

 _And I guess it turns out not to be such an ill-fated love life after all._

 _My thanks to everyone who read this story, and especially to those who reviewed. It's always great to know someone's out there._

Commission \- Consider \- Charming \- Construction \- Caught \- Casual \- Cultural \- Crush \- Calming \- Curse \- **COMMITTED**


End file.
